“A battery is really a bomb.”

That’s what Qichao Hu, founder of SolidEnergy Systems, a battery- technology startup in Woburn, told the Boston Globe last year. Recent headlines seem to bolster that statement – just look at the woman whose headphones shorted and caught fire mid-flight, her face blackened and her hair burned in a photo following the incident; the fires resulting from collisions involving hybrid and electric vehicles; or the explosive Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Concerns surrounding the safety of lithium-ion batteries have spawned restrictions on their transport by mail carriers and questions about the soundness of transporting them in airplane cargo holds, where fires may go unnoticed until it’s too late.

Despite their apparent drawbacks, lithium-ion batteries remain the best option for our rechargeable devices, offering the best size, weight, and power. As we wait for battery technology to advance, certain design considerations must be made to enhance the safety of battery-powered devices. To learn how to make your battery packs safer; how to build a USB-to-controller interface that “talks” to a power device; and how to extend battery life in wearable devices, join us on Tuesday, June 20 at 11 a.m. EDT for day one of Embedded University’s three day series, Designing for Safety in Battery-Powered Applications. The class is led by Charles J. Lord, PE, President and Chief Trainer at Blue Ridge Advanced Design and concludes with a question and answer period between the attendees and the instructor.

Click here to register.